Hinge swivel for chair back



Nov. 8, 1960 R. F. ANDERSON HINGE SWIVEL FOR CHAIR BACK Filed Oct- 20, 1958 2 f I I United States Patent HINGE SWIVEL FOR CHAIR BACK Ralph F. Anderson, Rockford, Ill., assignor to National Lock Co., Rockford, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 20, 1958, Ser. No. 768,259

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-491) The present invention relates to a novel hinge swivel for pivotally mounting the back rest of a chair upon its supporting uprights.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a novel means and manner of mounting the back rest of a chair whereby the back rest is automatically adjusted and positioned to the back of the occupant.

The present invention further comprehends the provision of a novel universal mounting for the back rest of a chair whereby the back rest is self-positioning to conform to the back of the occupant. This novel selfpositioning feature permits the back rest to freely move or swivel in various planes of adjustment to adapt it to and most effectively support the back of the occupant when in a sitting posture.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a novel hinge swivel for adjustably mounting the back of a chair upon tubular uprights supporting the back and permitting the back to freely tilt to conform to and support the back of the occupant in various positions of rest.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efficiency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a chair in which the back rest is mounted upon the spaced tubular uprights by the novel hinge swivels of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in rear elevation of one of the hinge swivels.

Fig. 3 is a further enlarged fragmentary view in vertical cross section taken in a plane represented by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a view in horizontal cross section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a view, part in side elevation and part in vertical cross section, of the novel hinge swivel in its elevated position.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawing and to the novel illustrative embodiment therein shown, the present novel hinge swivel or universal mounting is shown mounted upon the spaced tubular supports or uprights 11, 11 and the back rest 12 of a chair 13 whereby the back rest is pivotally mounted and freely adjustable to the back of the occupant when seated upon the chair. This novel self-positioning feature permits the back or back rest to freely pivot or swivel upon its mounting as well as adjust vertically relative to the uprights.

The novel hinge swivel comprises a housing 14 having laterally projecting anchoring flanges 15 and 16 each provided with a countersunk opening to receive a screw or other attaching means 17 for securely anchoring the housing to the back rest 12. This housing is provided with a recess or socket 18 so contoured as to conformably receive a ball or universal mounting 19 on the upper end of a stud 21 having a depending shank 22 provided with a reduced end portion 23 conformably received in and projecting through an opening in a cap 24 and at its lower end having anchored thereto a radially slotted and cupped stud washer 25 longitudinally movable in the upper end of a tubular support 11. A shoulder 26 limits the downward movement or depth of penetration of the stud in the cap and the washer 25 limits upward movement of the stud.

Each cap 24 is adapted to provide a closure for and is anchored onto the upper open end 27 of one of the tubular uprights or supports 11, with the washer 25 having a diameter permitting it to be conformably received and longitudinally adjusted in the open end 27. While this washer maintains the shank or projection of the stud in substantial axial alignment with the tubular upright 11, the slotted periphery of the washer alfords 7 limited resiliency between the parts.

The ball or universal mounting 19 of the stud 21 is retained within the recess 18 by a stud retainer 28 having one end 29 conformably received within a slot 31 and therein anchored onto a threaded embossment 32 in the housing 14 by a screw 33, and its other end 34 rounded or contoured to partially encompass the ball 19 but permit the latter to freely swivel in the socket formed by recess 18 of the housing 14 and the retainer 28.

The novel swivel mounting disclosed permits the back to freely swivel and to tilt as shown by the arrows in Fig. 1 so that the back rest automatically adjusts to the sitting posture of the occupant. Thus it provides a unique support and self-positioning feature for the back or back rest of a chair.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. Means for pivotally mounting the back rest of a chair upon a tubular upright for supporting the back rest, comprising a housing affixed to and movable with said back rest and provided with a downwardly opening socket, a stud having a ball at its upper end conformably received and freely pivoted in said socket, a depending projection on said stud providing a reduced end portion, a cap aflixed to and providing a closure for the upper end of the tubular upright and having an opening through which projects and is movable the reduced end portion of said projection, a shoulder on said stud above said cap and a flexible cupped washer affixed to the lower end of said projection and conformably received within the upper end of the tubular upright, whereby said projection has limited movement longitudinally in said upper end of the tubular upright and opening in the cap between said shoulder and said washer and said back rest and its socket are freely pivoted upon said ball.

2. A hinge swivel for adjustably mounting the back of a chair upon a tubular upright for supporting the back, comprising a housing affixed to the back and provided with a downwardly opening recess and a downwardly extending embossment, a stud having a universal mounting received in the recess of the housing, a retainer aflixed to said embossment with one end of said retainer projecting into said recess and contoured to form with the housing a socket for the universal mounting, said stud having a reduced depending end, a cap providing a closure for the upper end of said tubular upright and having an opening through which projects and in which the reduced depending end of the stud is longitudinally movable, a shoulder on said stud above said cap for limiting penetration of the reduced depending end of the stud in said cap, and a cupped resilient washer afiixed to the lower end of the stud and conformably received but. movable within and longitudinally of said'tubulai References Gitd 'i n th file of this'patnt' upright, whereby said back is freely swivelled upon said I universal mounting and the universal mounting and stud UNITED STATES PATENTS have limited movement longitudinally of said tubular 1,486,813 Tallman Mar. 11, 1924 upright between said shoulder and said cupped washer 5 2,538,634 Vogelsang Jan. 16, 1951 on the lower end of the Stud. 2,847,062 Henrikson Aug. 12, 1958 

